


The Beginning of Something New

by InimitableBiscuit



Series: Elbows and Awkwardness: Hogwarts Eighth Year Happenings [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: All the dialogue, Draco Malfoy's guilty conscience, Gen, Hogwarts Eighth Year, New Friendships, Post-War, Rated T for language, cos that's just how I write apparently
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 16:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16601378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InimitableBiscuit/pseuds/InimitableBiscuit
Summary: Eighth year Harry and Draco clear the air.





	The Beginning of Something New

Draco Malfoy sat in the quietest corner of the eighth year common room. He moved restlessly, picking at the buttons of his high back armchair, shifting his legs, glancing over to where two figures sat playing chess by the fire and sighing. 

"For crying out loud, just go and talk to him Draco" said Blaise suddenly. Pansy nodded in agreement but looked worried. 

"Be careful" she said softly not meeting his eye. She had not been herself since the battle and the trials that followed, but then, had any of them? Draco had insomnia - he'd barely made it through the night before his Dark Mark ceremony and since then the nightmares had been unbelievable. Coming back to Hogwarts had brought his sleeplessness to a whole new level. _And I thought 6th year was bad_ he half laughed to himself. Draco realised that he'd been quiet for too long and that Pansy and Blaise were both staring at him. 

"Fine" he said and pushed himself to stand in one swift movement that made both of them jump. 

"Go get'em tiger" smiled Blaise. 

"Thanks Zabini, I will" he said before striding determinedly over to the chess players just as one of them crowed in triumph. 

“Oh yeah! Saviour of the wizarding world but still 0 for 99 at chess!” cried Ron jubilantly. 

“One day _Weasley_ , one day” said Potter as he made to stand and leave. 

“Er, Potter” Draco started. He lost his words as they both turned to look at him, one with open hostility, the other with curiosity. Draco coloured and blurted “Can I have a word?” 

The other two glanced at each other. Weasley shook his head, his eyebrows raised. Potter frowned at him a moment before replying with a shrug “Sure, why not”. Draco nearly collapsed in relief and anxiety overload. 

“No” said Ron loudly “Don’t go anywhere with him! Malfoy’s scum and he always will be.” Potter rolled his eyes. 

“Ron, we’ve been through this. Malfoy and his mother were an integral part of defeating Voldemort. If you’d bothered to go to his trial like me and ‘Mione, you’d know” Harry said quietly but firmly. Draco’s jaw dropped but he managed to shat his mouth before they noticed him gawping. Harry moved past Weasley, through the common room toward the dorm corridor. Glancing back, he said “Are you coming then Malfoy?” 

“Er, yeah, sure” Draco gabbled. He scrambled to catch up, ignoring Weasley’s audible huff of disgruntlement. Draco wondered where they were going until Potter suddenly stopped outside a door, frowning. 

“I wish they’d stop doing that” Harry said. Draco looked at the door, it was covered in graffiti all along the lines of _Potter for President_ and _We <3 the Golden Trio_. 

“Have you tried _Impervious_?” Draco asked “I have to top it every week but it’s kept mine and Blaise’s door safe so far. Plus we’re right at the top of the tower to discourage unwelcome guests. McGonagall even put Pansy next to us and an invite only barrier between us and the rest of the tower. She calls it Safe Haven, Pansy calls it _Snake Haven_.” He was cut off by Potter’s low, surprised laugh. Draco went pink again, god could he just stop babbling in front of Potter please? 

“You know, that’s probably the most I’ve ever heard you say in one go Malfoy” Potter said. “Well, come in, I take it you don’t want just anyone to hear what you are going to say” 

He opened the door and gestured Draco through. Draco stepped inside on shaking legs looking around curiously. Potter’s room was as spartan as his own, the only homely touch being the photo album lying open on the bedside table. He suddenly remembered who he was with and turned, there was Potter, his head tilted, regarding him curiously. 

“So Malfoy, you wanted a word” Harry said, smiling a strange little half smile that Draco had no hope of translating. Draco’s mouth went dry. This was it, he swallowed, hard and opened his mouth. He closed it again. Harry frowned, confused “Are you okay?” he asked. 

Draco closed his eyes and nodded but went even paler than usual. 

“Sit down” Harry said quickly “You don’t look well” _at all_ now that he’d come to notice. Draco Malfoy looked just as haggard as he had _that_ night in Malfoy manor. Draco slowly opened his eyes. 

“No Potter, I’m as fine as I normally am these days” a ghost of a smile flitted across his face (Come on Draco, you can do it you loser) “I just...I just wanted to thank you for ss-saving my life and for speaking on my behalf at the trial and...” his voice broke off and became a mumble “f-for not gossiping about what you heard at the trial.” It became stronger again as he said “Also thanks for that just now but you shouldn’t hurt your friendship like that, I am scum” 

Harry’s smile had vanished as he sat down on the bed. “I don’t think you’re scum” he said simply “If you were you wouldn’t bother thanking me. Sit down, we should talk”. Slightly nonplussed Malfoy stayed standing with his mouth slightly open. Harry’s mouth twitched with barely concealed amusement. 

“Come on Draco” he said, watching Malfoy start at the sound of his first name coming from Potter’s lips “Sit on the chair please, there is a conversation we need to have.” Draco sat down slowly on the desk chair, silent and bewildered. This was not how he had imagined the scene to play out. Where were the angry words and the fists pummeling his face? 

Harry looked down at his hands and wondered how to start. He heard stealthy footsteps stop at his door, sighing, he flicked his wand and cast both _imperturbable_ and _muffliato_ at the door. Malfoy looked in askance. “Ron” stated Harry “He’s not dealing well with _anything_ right now, though listening at his best mate’s door is a new low” 

“Maybe he’s feeling protective” suggested Draco “I mean, he’s already lost a brother to Deatheater scum like me” 

“Stop” said Harry immediately. ”You are _not_ scum okay. I think I should start by saying what I know about you, would that work for you Draco? You can fill in the gaps if you choose to but no pressure” Draco silently nodded his assent and settled back in his seat. 

“Hmmm” hummed Harry “Where to start? Ah! Yes, did you know that you were the first person in the wizarding world to talk to me like I’m a normal human being?” Malfoy shook his head, pale and quiet. “Oh yes, I’d gone from a house and school where no-one would speak to me or even look me in the face straight to some kind of crazy hero worship status from Hagrid and everyone he had introduced to me that day. While my head was spinning from all that, your few words managed to help me focus and actually start asking Hagrid questions about my new world.” Harry grinned, lost in the memory for a moment. He continued “Unfortunately you also reminded me of my loathsome cousin, the spoiled little rich boy I despised, in fact the reason I had no friends, and then on the train you appeared with minions in an attempt to persuade me to be, ah, more _selective_ in my friendships” 

The boy in the chair snorted slightly and Harry smiled. “I’m afraid I rejected you then because, despite my cold upbringing I _do_ follow my heart which had been captured by the easy warmth of the Weasley family. _Also_ I am deeply suspicious of people with mooks instead of friends due to my life with Dudley” Harry broke off as a thought suddenly struck him. “Why did you have minions?” he asked, carefully mentioning no names. 

Malfoy frowned (the little wrinkle in his forehead was really quite cute thought Harry) “My father told me to use them as he had done with their dads” he said slowly “I even suspect he told them when to try for kids so that his own would have bodyguards” he smiled at Potter’s startled exclamation. 

“You still don’t understand how all powerful he believed himself to be before the Dark lord returned. You rescued Dobby from him, you came to our trials but because you have _no concept_ of being better than everyone else you will never understand his internal workings. You, Potter, are disgustingly humble whereas my father had an ego the size of a planet and the money and privilidge to ignore the law.” 

Harry was leant back on the bed, face scrunched up in an effort to understand. He slowly spoke, rolling the thoughts out on his tongue “I think I get where you’re coming from a little. So..your father told you who to talk to and which house to be in?” At the nod from Draco he continued “Did you or do you have _any_ equal friendships?” 

“I do now” replied Draco easily “You made me insanely jealous though – two real friends in the first year all the while my father pressuring me to claim you so that he could influence you. My failure and argumentativeness at Easter meant I was whipped, in the summer I was punished with the cruciatus” 

“You were an eleven year old kid!” burst out Harry. 

“Ah, but I had disobeyed a god” said Draco, staring at the ceiling “How did your family punish you? I know you didn’t have it easy.” 

Harry snorted a singularly humourless laugh before answering “Yeah, they used to lock me in my cupboard and later my room without food. It was okay in term time because I could eat lunch at school but holidays were awful...whipping though, from your own father...” He trailed off, frowning at the pale boy huddling into his own knees. Harry didn’t understand how he even fit on the study chair like that. Draco Malfoy had the distinct look of someone well experienced at trying to hide in the smallest space possible. 

“Sorry Draco, we can change the subject if you’d like” he said. There was a pause before Draco gave a microscopic nod against his knee. Harry coughed and cast around for a slightly less depressing subject – aha! Yes! Quidditch! “Sooo, uh, Draco, I noticed you haven’t joined us for any games of pick up quidditch so far.” 

Malfoy looked up from contemplating his knees surprised by Potter yet again. He frowned in confusion “Of course not, I hardly think I’d be welcomed” he snapped “Anyway, no-one's invited me” 

Harry scoffed, apparently not taking Malfoy’s waspish attitude to heart. “We’re hardly that _formal_ and even if we were, I’m inviting you now.” 

“I don’t think so” Malfoy replied shaking his head. 

“C’mon, it’ll be fun. Only you and Gin have ever truly challenged me as Seeker” Harry wheedled. 

“I’m not one for flying right now” muttered Draco. 

Harry became exasperated “Come _ooon_ you’re a natural!” he insisted. At this, Draco lost his composure. 

“I haven’t been on a broom since the room of requirement alright?!” Draco suddenly became aware of just how loud his voice had gotten and how flushed his face was. He opened his mouth to apologise but was brought up short by Harry speaking. 

“Sorry, fuck, I didn’t even _think_ about that, fuck. Well how about we just go hang out on the quidditch pitch for a bit and one day you might be okay with joining us in the air?” The hopeful note in Harry’s voice made Draco sigh and give up resisting. 

“Yeah, okay, as long as I can bring Pans and Zabini too” he said. He almost flinched when Potter’s face transformed with a smile that lit up the entire room. 

Maybe, thought Draco, you could start afresh. This time he was determined to succeed.

**Author's Note:**

> I am a sucker for the Draco redemption train. Woo woo!
> 
> Comments welcome :-)


End file.
